Gluten-free Peanut Butter Cookies

One of the things I miss most now that I’m gluten-free is all of the delicious baked goods I used to make and enjoy. Yes, I’ve experimented with gluten-free baking, with some success and some failure. Regular baking is tricky enough, but when you begin working with gluten-free alternatives to flour, a lot can go wrong.

But, I’m happy to report, a lot can go right, too. And these gluten-free peanut butter cookies are darn good. The recipe is easy to follow, and the reward is enjoying a cookie that tastes pretty close to the “real thing.”

A few tips:

I used natural peanut butter (which was all I had on hand) and my cookies turned out great. They were more difficult to handle as I was forming the cookie on the sheet, but they baked beautifully.

If you do use natural peanut butter, form a ball with the “dough” by rolling it in your hands. (I say “dough” because it’s more grainy than doughy in texture.)

Hold the ball between your thumb and finger to prevent it from crumbling when you crisscross the top with a fork.

Ingredients

2 cups creamy peanut butter (not the all-natural variety)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Heat oven to 350° F.

Using an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and beat in the eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and salt.

Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. With a lightly floured [gluten-free flour] fork, press the dough to a ⅜-inch thickness, making a crisscross pattern on top of each cookie.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the edges are set, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

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SacFoodies is a blog that examines all things food-related, from local Sacramento events to restaurants worldwide to a long list of traditional and gourmet recipes. Authored by Sacramento communications professionals who are experts in food marketing — and who have a passion for food and drink– the blog covers all things culinary from several different perspectives.